Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really love Chevy Stevens, so was excited to read Never Knowing while being out of town for a work meeting. When this started I thought I was going to be freaked out reading this in a hotel room by myself. It starts off by learning about a serial killer. However; this fell flat for me.

I was expecting a heart pounding thriller, and I just kept waiting for that moment for the story to be over the edge. Most of the action is between phone calls with Sara and the killer. I found it dragged on a little too much and was a little too repetitive. I wanted something else to happen. Even towards the end I was waiting for the twist on who the killer may be, and it never came. The twist that did come just did not work for me. It was pretty predictable as well.

Overall, this was still pretty good but did not meet my expectations coming from an author that normally blows me away.


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The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you enjoyed the Kiss Quotient, then you definitely need to pick up The Bride Test. This the second book in the series (I did not know it was a series), but you do not have to read the first one to enjoy this. It did not have any of the same characters.

Where I really enjoyed the first book, I liked the plot much more in The Bride Test. I am not really sure why, but I just thought it was so cute. I loved how the mother of Khai meets Esme, and the whole journey of having her come to America.

Just like The Kiss Quotient, this is more new adult than just contemporary romance. There are several steamy scenes, so be prepared for that when going into either of these stories. It was not overwhelming though and was such a small part of the plot, so you could still enjoy it even if you do not like that in your reads.

The one reason I am giving this 4/5 stars is the lack of depth/details. I just wanted more development around the characters and their story. It is hard to describe, but I just wanted more.

Overall, still a great read and I recommend it.


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Warlock From Wales by Sherren Vedam: Book Tour Spotlight

Unexpected by Kelly Rimmer NEW RELEASE

Unexpected by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I love Kelly Rimmer, so when I saw she was coming out with a romance I knew I wanted to read it. Better yet, this is a friends to lovers romance which made it even better.

I really enjoyed that this involved older characters as Abby is 32 years old. I actually loved the friendship between Abby and Marcus. The friendship is developed prior to the emotional/physical relationship happening and I really appreciated it. You really believe they were best friends. Most stories will say they were best friends, but they are throwing themselves at each other by the end of the first chapters. I liked that this is not what happened with this couple.

This does deal with fertility issues, but not really. It does not get into the emotional trauma or hit that emotional level as it really is only the on the surface. I know this is the main thing around why the romance happens, but it was not as emotional as I thought it would be. I am a person in my 30s struggling with infertility and it did not trigger me. I was able to connect a little more with Abby though due to my own struggles. I did cry in the end based on this connection.

Yes, this was a little slower paced and there is not too much going on besides the building of their relationship. There is a little extra drama thrown in with the father of Marcus coming into the picture. The story itself was predictable, but I still enjoyed it.

Overall, this one was good and I liked it.


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Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter by Lori Zaremba: Release Day Blitz

Neliem by Clare Di Liscia: Book Tour Spotlight

Stolen Dreams by HG Lynch: Book Tour Spotlight

Legend by Nicole Conway: Book Tour Spotlight

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was sent this book to review. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

Have you ever read a book that was so wonderful that you do not even know how to put into words what made it so special? That is how I am feeling about Whose Waves These Are. I would have never known this a debut from the author and I definitely cannot wait to see what else she brings to the table.

As I was gathering my thoughts I decided to look more into the author and noticed she has published some novellas, including some that go with this story. I added them to my Kindle immediately!

The writing and the story just worked. I loved the characters. I loved everything about it. I may need to update my review after a day or two to really get my thoughts together, but all I can say is I highly recommend this one.


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Captive Truth by Karen Stary: Book Tour Spotlight

The Night Before by Wendy Walker

The Night Before by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I was sent this book from the publisher. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I went into this not really knowing much, but I think that is the best way to read this story. This is following the story of two sisters and a group of lifelong friends. I picked this up one night before bed and expected to read only one or two chapters. Next thing I knew I was over 100 pages in and needed to know how everything was going to unfold.

It also deals with online dating as Laura goes on an online date, but does not show up at home later that night. This story is told in three different views. You see the story from Laura during and leading up to her date. You also get the story from her sister, Rosie, who is searching for Laura after the date. You also get a glimpse into the past when Laura was in therapy. I think this really worked. Sometimes when this happens it will take away from the thrilling moments, but this all worked well together for me.

This also has a mystery within a mystery within a mystery which I also really liked. It really kept my attention, as it was always focused on one of the three. You are not only reading and wondering what happened to Laura the night of her date, but also what happened to her while she was living in the city and as a teenager. I was actually more interested in what happened in the city and high school than I was the current mystery.

Overall, this was pretty good.


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Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was not really sure what I was expecting when I grabbed for Outside the Lines, but I previously read a book by the author and loved it.

This is a really raw look at the relationship between a father and daughter and the impact mental illness can have on a family. This does deal with mental health, suicide, and some other series issues around mental health. I liked how the author really took the story to a dark place for David. However; the middle did get a little repetitive and I was ready for something else to happen.

This jumps from the past and present of the family relationships. You get to see a glimpse of when Eden was a child and what happened with her father and his mental health needs. You also get his perspective while he was dealing with his demons. The third is the present where Eden is looking for her father after not seeing him since she was a child.

There is also a romance for Eden but it is not at the forefront of the story.

Yes, this was emotional but I was just waiting for that moment for it to blow me away. It never really happened. I was waiting for that moment where my stomach would drop and the tears would just come, and again it did not happen. It just was a little to flat in the end.

Overall, it was ok.

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The Night Before by Wendy Walker

The Night Before by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was sent this book from the publisher. My ratings and reviews will be my own personal opinions and are in no way influenced by publishers or authors who may have sent me books to review.

I went into this not really knowing much, but I think that is the best way to read this story. This is following the story of two sisters and a group of lifelong friends. I picked this up one night before bed and expected to read only one or two chapters. Next thing I knew I was over 100 pages in and needed to know how everything was going to unfold.

It also deals with online dating as Laura goes on an online date, but does not show up at home later that night. This story is told in three different views. You see the story from Laura during and leading up to her date. You also get the story from her sister, Rosie, who is searching for Laura after the date. You also get a glimpse into the past when Laura was in therapy. I think this really worked. Sometimes when this happens it will take away from the thrilling moments, but this all worked well together for me.

This also has a mystery within a mystery within a mystery which I also really liked. It really kept my attention, as it was always focused on one of the three. You are not only reading and wondering what happened to Laura the night of her date, but also what happened to her while she was living in the city and as a teenager. I was actually more interested in what happened in the city and high school than I was the current mystery.

Overall, this was pretty good.


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On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher


This started off a little too slow, and I just never could get into the story. It is not often that I do not love or finish a book from Revell. I just could not get myself into this one. I think I will try it again on audiobook in the future, but for now I am not finishing it.

No Rating

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Fall with Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fall with Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When this one started I was not sure if I was going to love it. Some things sounded repetitive from the previous books. Boy was I wrong! This was so intense!

I read this while my husband was out of town for work. I am not going to lie! I was scared at night being home alone. It never got too crazy, but just the anticipation of what was going to happen had me on the edge of my seat.

JLA is killing this series!! On to the next!!

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Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was sent and early copy from the publisher, and I was excited to jump into this one based on the synopsis. When this started, I thought it was going to be a thriller that would keep me guessing, but unfortunately it fell flat.

This starts off with several different perspectives: Annie, Faye, Clary, Kenney, and Laurel. I thought this was going to get confusing, but it was really easy to keep each character and their story separate. However; this was more of a story about the surrounding characters than it was about Annie missing. We never really got to know Annie before she ends up missing. The rest of the story is her missing (nothing really to it until the reveal) and what the other characters have been going through. I do not feel any were really developed the way I would like and I never found myself connecting to any of them.

There were several things thrown in that needed to be fleshed out even more. For example, I do not understand why Annie and Kenney had to end their friendship once she was married or why they kept it hidden since high school. This was hidden from everyone in a small town who seemed to know Annie’s every move, yet they had no clue Kenney was her best friend? I also feel like there was little to no information around Annie and her relationship with her fiancé Scott. All we know is that he was off with her best friend while she was missing and possibly dead. It just did not work for me.

The ending was also just blah for me. It was random with no thrilling reveal or story around what really happened. I would have liked to see this more of a thriller around Annie missing.

Overall, this was ok. I left feeling disappointed.


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Stay with Me by J. Lynn

Stay with Me by J. Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

This was not my favorite so far, but I still loved it. I just never really bought into the relationship between Calla and Jax like I did with previous characters. Jax was still a great guy though. If you love a romance with good guys, this series is so far for you.

I did like the positive male roles in this story including the Uncle. It is rare to see males in a postive light sometimes in book series, so this was a nice add in.

The previous characters were also thrown in, but I almost wish they were not. Hear me out! I love them, but I feel they were just there to be there. So many serious things were happening, and they were just chilling at the bar or a hotel room. There is no way they would have been that calm around these events unfolding. I did like seeing and hearing about them, but I wish it was done in a different way.

The whole story you are set up to really be mad at Calla's Mom. However; the part at the end with her Mom was heartbreaking.

This does have triggers for drugs, drug abuse, and violence.

It may sound like I did not like this based on the review, but I really did. I just wanted to show why it was a little less than a 5 star for me. Overall, still loving the series!

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Unhuman Light by Chris Stoneheart: Book Tour Spotlight

Be with Me by J. Lynn

Be with Me by J. Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved book one, so I immediately jumped into Be With Me. I was hoping I would love it as much as the first, and I think I loved this one even more.

This one was a little bit darker than the first one. Both deal with really serious issues, but this one really got scary. My heart was pounding with anticipation for what would happen towards the end. Was it a little predictable? Yes! Did it take away from the suspense? Not really!

This one is a little more steamy than the first, so be prepared for that going in. The second book follows Tess, the sister of Cam. Cam and Avery are still involved within this story though, so if you love them there is a little bit of their story also thrown in. I loved Jase just as much as I loved Cam! What a great guy and his storyline had my jaw drop as I did not see that coming!

This story does deal with several triggering topics including domestic violence and suicide.

Another five stars, but I would not expect anything less from Jennifer L. Armentrout when it comes to her romance. On to the next!!


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When a Taker Dreams by JA Jackson: Book Tour Spotlight with Giveaway